Public health officials estimate that nearly 10 million Americans are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the near future. While some will inevitably develop the illness, those for whom any hope of avoiding diabetes remains should immediately undertake lifestyle intervention in the form of diet and exercise, one study found.

Conducted by government researchers at the National Institutes of Health, the study found that high-risk pre-diabetics who begin a low-fat eating plan and exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day can lower their risk of type 2 diabetes by 58%. In addition, those pre-diabetics who undertake the timely lifestyle change were found to lose an average of 5-7% of body weight over the course of the study period, helping further lower their long-term risk of diabetes.

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